Child Health and the Environment

Donald T. Wigle

This book systematically documents environmental threats to child health and will interest persons in public health, pediatrics, environmental health, epidemiology, and toxicology. Its overarching themes are children's susceptibility to environmental toxicants, uncertaintics surrounding environmental exposure limits, the influence of modifyingfactors, the role of health outcome and exposure monitoring, and the importance of timely intervention. Consistently organized chapters cover the role of key environmental hazards(metals, PCBs, dioxins, pesticide, hormonally active agents, radiation, indoor and outdoor air pollution, and water contaminants) in developmental, reproductive, neurobehvioral, and respiratory effects, and cancer. Each topical chapter addresses
environmental exposures, interventions, and standards, and concisely summarizes key issues. This is the first textbook to focus on the epidemiology of child health and the environment.

Child Health and the Environment

Donald T. Wigle

Description

This is the first textbook to focus on environmental threats to child health. It will interest professionals and graduate students in public health, pediatrics, environmental health, epidemiology, and toxicology. The first three chapters provide overviews of key children's environmental health issues as well as the role of environmental epidemiology and risk assessment in child health protection. Overarching themes are the susceptibility of the rapidly developing fetus and infant to environmental toxicants, the importance of modifying factors(e.g. poverty, genetic traits, nutrition), the role of health outcome and exposure monitoring, uncertainties surrounding environmental exposure limits, and the importance of timely intervention. Later chapters address
the health effects of metals, PCBs, dioxins, pesticides, hormonally active agents, radiation, indoor and outdoor air pollution, and water contaminants. In analyzing potential environmental hazards, the author addresses both biologic and epidemiologic evidence, including the likelihood of causal relationships. Among the health outcomes he discusses are developmental, reproductive, and neurobehavioral effects, respiratory disease, cancer, and waterborne infectious diseases. These discussions cover environmental exposure sources/indicators, interventions, and standards, and conclude with a summary of calls for an improved science base to guide public health decisions and protect child health.

Child Health and the Environment

Donald T. Wigle

Reviews and Awards

"Any book that includes the Londong smog episode of 1952, the disasters of thalidomide, Minamata disease, Yu-Cheng disease, DES exposed-mothers, and Chernobyl is starting with inherently fascinating material. However, in this case, substantial value is added in the telling. This book on the unique and not-so-unique environmental risks faced by children-a useful guide to the future...overall this work nicely fills a gaping hole in the field."--Matthew P. Longnecker, Epidemiology Branch, National Institute of Environmental Health Services, National Institutes of Health, Department of Health and Human Services, Research Triangle Park, North Carolina

"Child Health and the Environment provides a broad view of the topic and is a useful resource for teachers and students who are seeking a comprehensive textbook and for those in the field who want a desk reference. Its usefulness should endure in this rapidly evolving field, given Wigle's efforts to meet the challenge of updating the information in the book through his Web site."--New England Journal of Medicine, October 23, 2003, p. 1682

"The content of this book is closely aligned with traditional environmental health, one that is limited to air, food, and water contaminants; radiation; toxic chemicals; wastes and their effects on human health. Such a compendium of knowledge will be useful for students at the undergraduate and graduate level in public health, epidemiology, medicine, health policy; and will be relevant for practitioners, risk assessors, policy makers in public health, and the general public interested in this subject area. The publication of this textbook is long overdue. It presents an important synthesis of the state of knowledge linking chemical exposures and child health conditions." --Children, Youth and Environment

"Any book that includes the London smog episode of 1952, the disasters of thalidomide, Minamata disease, Yu-Cheng disease, DES exposed-mothers, and Chernobyl is starting with inherently fascinating material. However, in this case, substantial value is added in the telling. This is a book on the unique and not-so-unique environmental risks faced by children - a useful primer, compendium, reference, and guide to the future...overall this work nicely fills a gaping hole in the field."--Epidemiology

"...a valuable book to raise awareness of threats to fetal, infant, and child health from anthropogenic factors in the environment."--Canadian Journal of Public Health